Coleus plant named &#39;SAKCOL023&#39;

ABSTRACT

A coleus plant particularly distinguished by a multicolored leaf pattern of bright rose foliage with dark burgundy blotches and venation, and green margins, with a mounding plant habit and small leaves, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Solenostemon sp.

Variety denomination: ‘SAKCOL023’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of coleus,botanically known as Solenostemon sp., and hereinafter referred to bythe variety name ‘SAKCOL023’.

‘SAKCOL023’ originated from the open pollination of 8 unpatentedproprietary lines crossed pollinated in October 2014 in Kakegawa, Japan.The breeder put breeding materials ‘14P-202’, ‘14P-203’, ‘14P-205’,‘14P-210’, ‘14P-211’, ‘14P-212’, ‘14F-19’, and ‘14F-20-2’ in a cage.Bees then crossed them at random. The breeder harvested 1,200 seeds from‘14P-211’. These seeds were composed of hybrid seeds and self-pollinatedseeds.

The seeds obtained from the ‘14P-211’ plant were sown and a single plantselection designated ‘L2015-CO258’ was selected for its multicoloredleaf pattern with a bright rose foliage with dark burgundy blotches andvenation, and green margins with mounding plant habit with small leaves.The breeder confirmed that ‘L2015-CO258’ was fixed and stable.‘L2015-CO258’ was subsequently named ‘SAKCOL023’.

The new plant was first asexually propagated from October 2015 to April2016 in Japan and has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttingsfor almost three years in Japan. The present invention has been found toretain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexualpropagations by vegetative cuttings.

‘SAKCOL023’ has not been made publicly available or sold more than oneyear prior to the filing date of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW PLANT

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of the new variety when grown under normal horticulturalpractices in Salinas, Calif.

-   -   1. Small leaves; and    -   2. Bright rose foliage with dark burgundy blotches and venation        and green margins.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new coleus plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographwhich shows the overall plant habit and foliage of a plant aged 3 monthsold. The colors are as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘SAKCOL023’. The data which defines thesecharacteristics were collected from plants grown three months fromtransplant into 4-inch pots from rooted cuttings in Salinas, Calif.,under greenhouse conditions. Color references are to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 4^(th) edition. Anatomic labels arefrom The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms, by M. Hickeyand C. King, Cambridge University Press.

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.        -   Botanical name.—Solenostemon sp.        -   Common name.—Coleus.        -   Denomination.—‘SAKCOL023’.-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Annual.        -   Habit.—Mounding.        -   Form.—Compact and dense, 5 main branches.        -   Height.—23.5 cm.        -   Spread.—45.0 cm.        -   Propagation type.—Vegetative cuttings.-   Environmental conditions for plant growth: The terminal 1.0 to 1.5    inches of an actively growing stem was excised. The vegetative    cuttings were propagated for five to six weeks. The base of the    cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9 solution of Dip 'N    Grow (1 solution: 9 water) root inducing solution immediately prior    to sticking into the cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic    cell trays having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat    moss-based growing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from    overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots were    formed. Rooted cuttings were transplanted and grown in 20 cm    diameter plastic pots in a glass greenhouse located in Salinas,    Calif. Pots contained a peat moss-based growing medium. Soluble    fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium    was applied once a day or every other day by overhead irrigation.    Pots were top-dressed with a dry, slow release fertilizer containing    20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 18% potassium. The typical average    air temperature was 24 degrees C.-   Lateral branches:    -   -   Length.—18.5 cm to 20.0 cm.        -   Diameter.—6.0 cm to 9.0 cm.        -   Internode length.—2.5 cm to 3.0 cm.        -   Strength.—Branches separate easily.        -   Aspect.—Long, trailing to semi-trailing.        -   Shape in cross-section.—Circular.        -   Texture.—Dull, very slight pubescent.        -   Pubescence color.—RHS N155A (White).        -   Branch color.—RHS 146C (Yellow-Green) with pronounced line            of RHS 59A (Red-Purple) at nodes.        -   Stem color.—Closest to RHS 1D (Green-Yellow), Very distinct            pattern with the 1^(st) to 2nd internode being closest to            but darker than RHS 187A (Greyed-Purple) on the interior            with a transparent layer of RHS 146C (Yellow-Green) over            creating a greyed mixture of the two. Also a pronounced line            of RHS 59A (Red-Purple) at nodes.        -   Flowering branch.—Present, very slight pubescence.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Length.—5.8 cm.        -   Width.—3.5 cm.        -   Broadest part of the leaf blade.—Middle.        -   Shape.—Cordate.        -   Apex.—Lanceolate.        -   Base.—Cordate.        -   Margin.—Very pronounced crenation, wavy.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Dull, very slight pubescence.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Glabrous with pronounced venation.        -   Venation pattern.—Reticulate.        -   Vein color, upper surface.—RHS N77A (Purple).        -   Vein color, lower surface.—Closest to RHS 156C            (Greyed-White).        -   Petiole length.—1.2 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—1.5 mm.        -   Petiole color.—Closest to RHS 2D (Yellow).        -   Petiole texture.—Very slight pubescent.        -   Variegation.—Present.        -   Leaf color.—Multicolored, hot pink at the center with            blotches of dark maroon increasing towards margin and green            at margin. Younger foliage having slightly lighter and            brighter coloration. Mature foliage: Upper surface: RHS 61A            (Red-Purple) at center with blotches of RHS 200A (Brown)            increasing towards margin and RHS 143A (Green) at margin.            Lower surface: Closest to but lighter than RHS 147B            (Yellow-Green) with blotches of RHS N79B (Purple)            intensified around venation and slight RHS 156C            (Greyed-White) at base. Young foliage: Upper surface:            Closest to but RHS 61A (Red-Purple) with RHS N34A            (Orange-Red) towards margin and blotches of RHS 187A            (Greyed-Purple) towards margin and RHS 1B (Yellow) and RHS            143A (Green) at margin Lower surface: Closest to RHS 161D            (Greyed-Yellow) with blotches slightly darker than RHS N71A            (Red-Purple) at midpoint and RHS 138A (Green) towards            margin.-   Flowers: Terminal flower stalk observed having multiple buds and    forming a cone shape.    -   -   Stalk length.—4.5 cm.        -   Stalk diameter.—1.8 cm.        -   Internode length.—Approximately 3.0 mm to 4.0 mm.        -   Stalk color.—Closest to RHS 1B (Yellow) with slight RHS            N144D (Yellow-Green).-   Temperature tolerance: 2 degrees C. to 35 degrees C.-   Disease or insect resistance: No disease or insect resistance    observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL LINES AND KNOWN VARIETY

‘SAKCOL023’ is a new and distinct cultivar of coleus owning to itsunique multicolored leaf pattern and mounding plant habit and smallleaves. It is distinguished from its parents as described in Table 1below.

TABLE 1 Comparison with Parental Lines Leaf Leaf Plant Leaf color Leafsize shape margin habit Parental lines ‘14P-202’ Brown ExtremelyOrbicular Crenate Creep- small ing ‘14P-203’ Rose and ExtremelyOrbicular Crenate Creep- green small ing ‘14P-205’ Brown ExtremelyOrbicular Crenate Creep- small ing ‘14P-210’ Rose and Small EllipseSerrate Mound- brown ing ‘14P-211’ Rose and Small Ellipse Serrate Mound-green ing ‘14P-212’ Rose, brown Large Ovate Crenate Erect and green‘14F-19’ Dark brown Medium Ovate Crenate Erect and green ‘14F-20-2’Rose, brown Extremely Orbicular Crenate Erect and green large Comparison‘SAKCOL023’ RHS 61A Small Cordate Very Mound- (Red-Purple) Length: pro-ing at center with 5.8 cm nounced blotches of Width: crenation, RHS 200A3.5 cm wavy (Brown) increasing towards margin and RHS 143A (Green) atmargin

‘SAKCOL023’ is most similar to the commercial variety PARTY TIME ‘PinkBerry’, also known as ‘SAKCOL018’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,823) however,there are differences as listed in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Comparison with Similar Variety Characteristic ‘SAKCOL023’‘PARTY TIME ‘Pink Berry’ Leaf color, RHS 61A (Red-Purple) Closest to RHS59C (Red-Purple) upper surface at center with blotches with blotchesclosest to RHS of RHS 200A (Brown) 200A (Black) with slight RHSincreasing towards 147A (Green) increasing towards margin and RHS 143Amargin, and RHS 143A (Yellow- (Green) at margin Green) at leaf margin.Leaf color, Closest to but lighter Closest to RHS147B (Yellow- lowersurface then RHS 147B Green) with blotches of RHS (Yellow-Green) with59A (Red-Purple) towards mid blotches of RHS vein with most maturefoliage N79B (Purple) having a blotch closest to RHS intensified around27A (Orange) a base venation and slight RHS 156C (Greyed-White) at basePlant growth Compact, Mounding Compact, Semi-creeping habit

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of coleus plant named ‘SAKCOL023’as illustrated and described herein.